Cut-tree stands are widely used for supporting cut trees, especially Christmas trees. Such stands are subject to several requirements, which include the ability to hold a tree upright in a stable fashion, when the trunk of the tree may have been cut at an angle, and which may have various knots or cut branches adjacent the lower end of the trunk, which make the trunk irregular in the region in which support is required. Also, since the trunk may be curved, and the tree otherwise misshapen, it is desirable that the stand be capable of being adjusted in a manner which tilts the trunk, to allow the best appearance to be achieved. For this purpose, it is also desirable to be able to rotate the tree to put its best side toward the viewers. Further, in order to prolong the time during which the appearance of the tree is satisfactory, and to reduce the potential for fire, it is desirable that the stand hold water adjacent the cut end of the trunk of the tree. Further desiderata include the ability to collapse the stand into a small volume for storage, easy set-up, and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,347, issued Oct. 13, 1987 in the name of Kuhnley, describes a stand including a base ring with three legs hinged thereto. The legs meet at an apex, at which a ball seat supports a ball, which can be rotated on the seat, and which may be clamped in a selected position. The ball is connected to a generally vertically disposed backplate or backpost, which is tiltable with respect to the vertical when the ball is not clamped, and which is held in position when the ball is clamped. The backpost or backplate is curved, as seen in a plane orthogonal to a vertical axis, and the concave side of the backplate is held against the tree trunk by a pair of straps without a tightening device, one near the top of the backplate, and the other near the bottom of the backplate. The straps are retained by buckles. The Kuhnley arrangement does not appear to have achieved widespread success, possibly because of the inability of the ball clamping mechanism to withstand the moments about the center of the ball which are generated by the weight of the tree. Any slippage of the ball when clamped would result in tilting of the tree, which might even overturn. Further, it appears that the backplate of Kuhnley is intended to be strapped to the tree trunk, and the straps can only be tightened, when the tree is lying on its side, and the tree is then raised to a vertical position, and the backplate is then engaged with the ball tilt arrangement. This may be expected to require substantial physical strength in the case of a large tree. Also, the Kuhnley arrangement makes no provision for watering the tree.
Another tree stand is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,808, issued Dec. 24, 1994, in the name of Roy. The Roy arrangement includes three legs which support a backpost or jaw assembly. The backpost has a foot for supporting the bottom of the tree trunk, and upper and lower sets of teeth protruding radially inward, to bear against the trunk. A bar of somewhat flexible or yieldable material is hinged to the structure above the foot of the jaw. The cut end of the tree trunk is set against the foot, and a hinged bar is pressed against the tree trunk at a location above the base of the trunk, and curved about it, to press the trunk against the jaw. The bar is clamped in a position which presses the trunk firmly against the jaw. Tilt adjustment is accomplished by forcing the tree in the desired direction, which allows the trunk to pivot around the bar as a fulcrum, and allows the cut end of the tree to slip along the foot of the jaw. The Roy arrangement, while allowing the tree to be righted by simply pushing it in the desired direction, does not appear to have any way to prevent tilt from occurring inadvertently. Also, tilt can be accomplished only in planes approximately transverse to the length of the bar.
Improved cut-tree stands are desired.